User Guide
How to: Build an Executive Delivery Dashboard
A complete guide to building a high-impact executive dashboard using the app's core reporting gadgets.
Who This Is For
Directors, VPs, and senior stakeholders who need a clear, data-driven view of delivery health without digging into Jira themselves.
Dashboard Layout Plan
| Row | Gadget | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | Global Filter Controller | Dynamic Filter Controller | One filter bar drives everything |
| Row 2a | Total Open Issues | Custom Charts → Tile | Key KPI number |
| Row 2b | Issue Distribution | Custom Charts → Pie | Status breakdown |
| Row 2c | Delivery Funnel | Custom Charts → Funnel | Pipeline visualization |
| Row 3a | Sprint Progress | Custom Charts → Stacked Bar | Sprint completion over time |
| Row 3b | Trend Over Time | Custom Charts → 2D Line | Created vs resolved trend |
| Row 4a | Flow Health | Cumulative Flow Diagram | WIP and bottleneck visibility |
| Row 4b | Aging Work | WIP Aging Charts | At-risk items at a glance |
| Row 5a | Team × Status | Pivot Table | Cross-dimensional workload |
| Row 5b | Cycle Time | Time in Status | Where work slows down |
| Row 6 | Active Issues | Issue List | Full issue details |
Optional additions for a delivery-metrics audience
| Row | Gadget | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Row 2d | Delivery KPIs | Issue Filter Formula → gauges | On-time delivery %, escaped defect rate, and other ratios in one tile |
| Row 3c | Cycle Time Direction | Cycle Time Trend | One chart answering "are we getting faster?" |
| Row 4c | Predictability | Control Chart | The percentile you can safely commit to |
| Row 7 | Sprint Health | Sprint Burndown & Burnup | Current sprint progress and scope changes |
Step 1: Add the Filter Controller (Do This First)
- Add Dynamic Filter Controller → set your project or JQL as base data source
- Add filter fields: Sprint, Assignee, Priority, Issue Type, Status
- Add tabs: All Issues (no filter), This Sprint, My Issues, Bugs Only, High Priority
- Click Save gadget - note the Reference ID
Step 2: Add Custom Charts (connect each to the Reference ID)
Tile - Total Open Issues
- Source: Dynamic Filter Controller
- Chart By: Custom JQL segment "Open" (
resolution is EMPTY) - Display: Count only, large number
Pie - Issue Distribution
- Source: Dynamic Filter Controller
- Chart By: Issue Type
Funnel - Delivery Funnel
- Source: Dynamic Filter Controller
- Chart By: Status (order: To Do → In Progress → In Review → Done)
Stacked Bar - Sprint Progress
- Source: same project (last 6 sprints)
- Chart By: Sprint, Group By: Status
2D Line - Trend Over Time
- Source: same project
- Chart By: Created (by Week), Group By: Resolved (by Week)
- Date range: Last 90 days
Step 3: Add Analytics Gadgets
Cumulative Flow Diagram
- Source: Dynamic Filter Controller
- Date Range: Latest sprint (auto)
- Band Mode: Board columns
WIP Aging Charts
- Source: Dynamic Filter Controller
- Age Method: Time since last entry in current status
- Enable Threshold Line at 10 days, Percentile Line at 85
Pivot Table - Team × Status
- Source: Dynamic Filter Controller
- Row: Assignee, Column: Status
- Aggregation: Count, Display: Table Row Heatmap
Time in Status - Cycle Time
- Source: same project
- Report Type: Average Time
- Calculate In: Business Decimal Days
Step 4: Add the Issue List
- Source: Dynamic Filter Controller
- Columns: Key, Summary, Assignee, Status, Priority, Sprint, Updated
- Quick Filters: My Issues, High Priority, Unassigned
Step 5: Arrange and Share
- Drag gadgets into the layout described above
- Click Done to exit edit mode
- Share the dashboard: Actions (•••) → Share → add your stakeholders
- Use Data Migration to back up the configuration
Tip: Use the Description tab on each gadget to add plain-language notes below charts. This helps executives understand what they are looking at without Jira jargon.